At last, Congress is moving to upgrade a health care system for veterans that has been exposed as a disgrace to the men and women who have served this nation.

A bipartisan package rolled out this week would let some veterans see private physicians, a major change, and hire more medical personnel and lease extra clinic spaces. There's also fresh management muscle: Top executives can be fired for misconduct such as masking long treatment waits with phony statistics.

The plan needs approval by the House and Senate, but chances for passage appear good. No legislator wants to face a town hall back home filled with angry veterans.

The changes were brought on by reports that scores of veterans died while awaiting medical appointments. Others encountered long waits for treatment, a problem attributed to growing numbers of vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, staff shortages and poor oversight. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki stepped down in May.

Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson suggested the extra money may only be a down payment on fixing what many think is an outdated and oversubscribed health care system with 6.5 million enrollees and 1,100 hospitals and clinics. More reforms are clearly needed.

Still, the package can alleviate waits and treatment delays for many. It also marks a positive turn for Congress, which worked together to solve a distressing problem.